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Cologne is Germany's no. 1 city for television


Cologne's Redeveloped Rheinauhafen, with its ultramodern 'Crane Houses'

City of Media Cologne

Germany's no. 1 city for television; international film Mecca; innovative gaming spot and the capital of readings and lectures.

The media and communications business represents one of the most important business factors in Cologne. More than one third of TV content nationwide is produced in the Rhine metropolis, and over 55,000 people work here in the media industry. Eight major television networks are based in Cologne, including WDR (largest public service broadcast entity in continental Europe) and RTL, Europe's private broadcaster with the highest turnover. Guided tours are offered at several of the TV studios. Viewers can visit their favourite talk shows, game shows and comedies, including popular series like “Schmidt und Pocher”, “TV Total” or “Wer wird Millionär” (“Who wants to be a Millionaire”).

Yet Cologne is also touchstone to film culture: More than 20 film festivals make for a full range of options for any film lover - take ShortCutsCologne for example, or CINEPÄNZ (Cologne's film festival intended specifically for children), Soundtrack Cologne and the International Women's Film Festival Dortmund|Cologne. And Cologne even enjoys an international reputation as a film industry base. Recent Hollywood hits like "Cheri" (starring Michele Pfeiffer) and “The Reader” with Kate Winslet were, in fact, filmed in Cologne.

Cologne offers a broad palette of qualified educational and training opportunities to those eager to join the field: the International Film Academy (IFS), the Academy of Media Arts (KHM) or the Cologne International School of Design (KISD). Even the University of Cologne, the Cologne University of Applied Sciences and a number of private educational institutions are gearing up for the most diverse range of media professions - from media manager and photo engineer to cutter.

The breadth of media-related events and prizes – such as the German Television Award – make it clear that Germany's media landscape places a premium on Cologne. Cologne Conference, the festival for outstanding television and independent film productions, is among the over 6,000 participants in the largest European event of this sort. And Media Forum, the most important German media congress, also takes place in Cologne.

Over the last few years, Cologne has evolved into a leading hotspot for gaming. Participants who qualified for the Grand Finale of World Cyber Games, the world's largest event in the "electronic sports" field, competed here at the Lanxess Arena in November 2008.
Starting in August 2009, GamesCom will arrive and Cologne will gain an innovative industry convention in the entertainment industry. It's no wonder: Cologne offers the best conditions for this industry – with its key location, optimal accessibility and the fact that the largest international firms like Microsoft, Electronic Arts, Turtle Entertainment or Emme Deutschland are domiciled here.
Cologne MediaPark by itself is the company's address for the approximately 250 companies and roughly 5,000 employees who have taken up residence here.

Redeveloped Rheinauhafen, with its ultramodern "Crane Houses" has turned into a business centre that is setting the standards for the future.
A vibrant writer's and publisher's hometown, where two of Germany's leading publishers of fiction are headquartered (Kiepenheuer und Witsch, and the DuMont Literaturverlag), the City is recognized for its regular calendar of diverse programmes and events. Cologne has earned the moniker "Readers Capital" (Süddeutsche Zeitung), and rightly so. The lit.Cologne festival, which takes place each year in the spring, is Europe's largest festival of literature. Scattered across the entire year, the renowned literary publishing house draws numerous book dealers and libraries with readings by international authors.
Apropos to the focus issue "City of Media Cologne 2009," Cologne Tourist Board is proud to offer a city tour devised around this topic. And the creators of the City Tour Festival, Expedition Colonia (4 - 26 April 2009) have created spellbinding tours throughout the entire media metropolis Cologne. Visit the production facilities for “Lindenstraße” or peek behind the scenes of Cinedom, one of the most lucrative Cologne-based cinemas. Detailed information on City of Media Cologne 2009 is available at www.koelntourismus.de

Facts and figures on Cologne: Media Metropolis

• roughly 55,000 employees in the media and communications industry
• 8 television broadcasters and over 40 production studios
• 600 production companies for film and television
• over 1,200 filming permits are authorized each year
• Over 70 cinema screens and 750,000 cinema guests each year
• More than 1,000 literary events per year
• 170 recording labels and music publishers
• Over 90 recording studios

Welcome Card Cologne